Scaffold



Sept. 12, 1967 F. WILSON 3,340,959

SCAFFOLD Filed Dec. 13, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 13 /NVENTOR LOU/.S` F. WILSON A T TOR/V57 United States Patent O 3,340,959 SCAFF OLD Louis F. Wilson, 312 High St., Orange, NJ. 07050 Filed Dec. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 513,175 z Claims. (Cl. isz- 36) This invention relates to portable scaffolds or staging and particularly to a construction embodying a movable carrier supporting one or more platforms adapted to be set at selected heights.

A scaffold of such character is adapted to be quickly and easily moved horizontally along a building, or otherl structure, for painting or other operations, as well as being provided with supporting planks or platforms of adjustable elevation on which a workman or workmen may stand. For this purpose the scaffold is movable on a plurality of rails running generally parallel to one another, forming a track, and consists of side rails connected by rungs or rung means, forming four ladders-arranged as two pairs, the ladders of each pair being placed side by side and spaced from those of the other pair similarly placed along the side of a structure to be worked on. Each pair has its lower ends fixed to a platform lying over and extending from rail to rail, wheels carried by said platforms and adapted to travel along the rails as the ladders are moved along said structure, with means to hold each pair of ladders in coplanar relationship, means to brace the pairs with respect to one another, and plank means extending between selected rung means of said pair and certain of the other pair to produce a scaffold.

An object of my invention is to provide a scaffold where a plurality of ladders have their lower ends placed in fixed sleeves movable longitudinally along a structure to be worked on, said ladders being adjustable in height and adjustably supporting planks or platforms on which workmen may stand while operating.

Another object of my invention is to provide a scaffold comprisingr ladders braced with respect to each other to provide a rigid structure, the bases of said ladders carrying wheels rolling on rails which form a track and planks or platforms extending lengthwise of said scaffold and supported at selected elevations, means being provided to prevent Workmen from falling backward off the scaffold away from the structure being worked on.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken with the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and do not define the scope or limits of the invention, reference being had for the latter purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters de note like parts in the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary isometric view of a scaffold embodying my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the scaffold of FIGURE l, but to a larger scale.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view, to a still larger scale, of one of the sleeves or ladder-holding devices mounted on a truck carrying wheels which ride on supporting rails.

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line IV-IV of FIGURE 3, in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I have shown in the present embodiment a plurality of laterally-spaced planks or other structures 11, in this instance three, on the top surfaces of each of which is secured a rail 12 of steel or other suitable material. Each of these rails has a base portion 13 from the sides of which upstand webs 14 which terminate in flanges 15 projecting toward one another and overlying the base portion 13 and with 3,34l9b5'g Patented Sept. 12, 1967 their inner edges spaced from one another to leave a slot 16 therebetween. Although each rail is illustrated as an integral member, it may be built up from members Selected from conventional structural shapes such as flats, angle irons, Z-bars, etc., to produce the specified components.

Supported on said rails 12 are a pair or plurality of platforms 17 which lie over and extend from rail to rail, each of said platforms having wheels 18 carried thereby and adapted to travel along the base portions 13 of the rails 12. These wheels are thus confined between said base portions 13 and the overlying flanges 15, thereby preventing overturning of the scaffold or otherundesired withdrawal of the carrying wheels 18 from the track rails 12. The wheels are desirably turnable on axles 19 secured to truck devices 21, the upper ends of which are rigidly mounted on the lower sides of the platforms 17, so that said platforms each have, in this instance, three trucks underlying and movably carrying the same.

Upstanding from each platform 17 are sleeves Z2, the lower ends of which are rigidly secured to the tops of the platforms 17 and which open upwardly for the reception of the lower ends of side rails of ladders 24, each formed by a pair of side rails 23 connected by rungs 25. In the present embodiment the scaffold 20 is completed by connecting a pair of ladders 24, either of the plain or extension type, at each end thereof by generally horizontal bracing beams or planks 26 extending between the respective platforms, and diagonal bracing members 27 and 28 which extend between the outside of the ladder side rails of one pair of ladders and the outside of the ladder rails of the pair of ladders at the other end of the scaffold.

These diagonal bracing members are desirably secured to the ladder rails by having a pair of vertically spaced rungs of each pair of closely positioned ladders extend between the ladders of each pair to hold said ladders in coplanar relationship. These rungs then extend beyond the outer rails thereof, as indicated at 29, 31, 32, and 33, with the diagonal members correspondingly apertured to receive said extensions. Said extensions are desirably threaded and carry nut 34 which engage the outer sides of the respective diagonal bracing members 27 and 28. The word rungs is used to include not only the parts of the members 25 between the rails 23, but also the internal portions, or those of smaller section, the ends of which carry nuts 34. These internal portions may be formed as desired, such as by having rods passed through the parts of larger section and extend from one ladder to that positioned close thereto.

Each of said bracing members is desirably spaced from its respective ladder rails by washers 35 or 36. The washers 35 between the outer diagonal bracing member 27, and the `adjacent rails, are desirably thicker than those designated 36 between the inner diagonal bracing member 28 and the adjacent rails so as to allow for a crossover without bending the bracing members, said crossover portion being desirably connected as by means of a bolt or the like 37.

The inner diagonal bracing member 28 is held from the adjacent ladder rails 23 by washers of such thickness that a backstop brace 38 may lie between it and the outer side rails of said ladders, without bending, and be connected to said ladder rails in a similar manner, such as by fitting over ladder rung extensions 39 and 41 and secured thereto by nuts 42. This brace 38 is a safety rail to prevent a workman from falling from the scaffold in case he steps back too far while Working thereon.

Each sleeve is desirably formed as illustrated in FIG- URES 3 and 4, that is, it has a base 43 rigidly secured to the top of its platform 17 by suitable means, not shown, and side walls connected by end walls 46 and 47. The end walls 46 and 47 extend the full height of each sleeve while the side Wall 44 terminates short thereof and the side Wall 45 is bifurcated to allow for the reception of the rungs 25 of the corresponding ladder, as shown most clearly in FIGURE 1. These sleeves may be of steel or other suitable metal, and the Side rails of each ladder, whether plain or of the extension type, may if desired be made of wood. The relative sizes of the ladder side rails and their sleeves are such that the lower end of each ladder side rail snugly fits in its sleeve, as ill-ustrated.

A consideration of FIGURE 1 will show that in the present embodiment the assembled scaffold 20 consists of two ladders 24 at each end held in coplanar relationship with respect to one another by certain rungs which may be made of steel or other suitable metal, the protruding ends of which are threaded for the reception of nuts, and these braced ladders at the ends are in turn rigidly secured to platforms as by means of sleeves upstanding therefrom for receiving the lower end portions of the ladder rails while allowing for passage of the rungs connecting said rails. These braced ladders at each end of the scaffold are in turn braced not only by longitudinal beams 26 connecting the respective platforms and the ends of which are secured to said platforms by bolts or the like 48, but also by a plurality of planks 49 at a lower elevation, and a plurality of planks 51 at an upper elevation. These planks respectively rest on suitable rungs of the ladders, as illustrated, and may be connected together by crossbracing members 52 through which and said planks pass securing means such as bolts 53.

Although the illustrated ladders are shown as plain and broken away to represent that their length is not critical, yet they may each, if desired, be an extension ladder so that the total height from the bottom to the top of each ladder may be adjustable as well as the elevation of the platforms supported thereon and on which workmen may stand. Although the upper platform formed by planks 51 is not shown with a backstop brace, it will be understood that such may be applied to the corresponding side rail extensions of the ladder, the upper ends of which are shown broken away in FIGURE 1.

Having now described my invention in detail in accordance with the requirements of the Patent Statutes, those skilled in this art will have no difficulty in ymaking changes or modifications in the individual parts or their relative assembly in order to meet specific requirements or conditions. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, as set -forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a plurality of laterally spaced rails running generally parallel to one another to form an outdoor track along the side of a structure to be worked on, side rails connected by rung means and forming four ladders arranged as two pairs, the ladders of each pair being placed close together side-by-side and spaced from those of the other pair similarly placed, each pair having its lower ends Xed to a separate platform lying over and extending from rail to rail, wheels as parts of trucks each with a body secured beneath one of said platforms and adapted to travel along the rails as the ladders are moved along said structure, each rail of the track is formed with a base portion on which the truck wheels can travel, and flanges overlying said base portion and said wheels to prevent overturning of the scaffold or other undesired upward displacement of the wheels, normally horizontal axles on which the wheels turn, means connecting said platforms, sleeves upstanding from said platforms with the lower end portions of said side rails received therein, each sleeve being hollow with end and side walls and having its lower end rigidly connected to its platform, the end walls of each sleeve extending the full length thereof, one of its side walls terminating short of said end walls and only the other side wall being bifurcated for passage of rung means between the bifurcations t-hereof, means to hold each pair of ladders in coplanar relationship, means to brace the pairs with respect to one another so that they stand upright, planks laterally free from one another extending between selected rung means of one pair and selected rung means of the other pair, positioned to provide a working surface and produce a scaffold.

2. In combination as recited in claim 1, wherein each rail of the track is formed with a base portion on which the truck wheels can travel, and flanges overlying said base portion and said wheels to prevent overturning of the scaffold or other undesired upward displacement of the wheels.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 521,381 6/1894 Mallory 182-39 1,593,945 7/1926 Macklem 182-119 2,115,395 4/1938 Marvin 182-204 3,074,507 1/1963 Pelky 182-127 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,290,207 3/ 1962 France,

1,223 1/1900 Great Britain.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY SPACED RAILS RUNNING GENERALLY PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER TO FORM AN OUTDOOR TRACK ALONG THE SIDE OF A STRUCTURE TO BE WORKED ON, SIDE RAILS CONNECTED BY RUNG MEANS AND FORMING FOUR LADDERS ARRANGED AS TWO PAIRS, THE LADDERS OF EACH PAIR BEING PLACED CLOSE TOGETHER SIDE-BY-SIDE AND SPACED FROM THOSE OF THE OTHER PAIR SIMILARLY PLACED, EACH PAIR HAVING ITS LOWER ENDS FIXED TO A SEPARATE PLATFORM LYING OVER AND EXTENDING FROM RAIL TO RAIL, WHEELS AS PARTS OF TRUCKS EACH WITH A BODY SECURED BENEATH ONE OF SAID PLATFORMS AND ADAPTED TO TRAVEL ALONG THE RAILS AS THE LADDERS ARE MOVED ALONG SAID STRUCTURE, EACH RAIL OF THE TRACK IS FORMED WITH A BASE PORTION ON WHICH THE TRUCK WHEELS CAN TRAVEL, AND FLANGES OVERLYING SAID BASE PORTION AND SAID WHEELS TO PREVENT OVERTURNING OF THE SCAFFOLD OR OTHER UNDESIRED UPWARD DISPLACEMENT OF THE WHEELS, NORMALLY HORIZONTAL AXLES ON WHICH THE WHEELS TURN, MEANS CONNECTING SAID PLATFORMS, SLEEVE UPSTANDING FROM SAID PLATFOMS WITH THE LOWER END PORTIONS OF SAID SIDE RAILS RECEIVED THEREIN, EACH SLEEVE BEING HOLLOW WITH END AND SIDE WALLS AND HAVING ITS LOWER END RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO ITS PLATFORM, THE END WALLS OF EACH SLEEVE EXTENDING THE FULL LENGTH THEREOF, ONE OF ITS SIDE WALLS TERMINATING SHORT OF SAID END WALLS AND ONLY THE OTHER SIDE WALL BEING BIFURCATED FOR PASSAGE OF RUNG MEANS BETWEEN THE BIFURCATIONS THEREOF, MEANS TO HOLD EACH PAIR OF LADDERS IN COPLANAR RELATIONSHIP, MEANS TO BRACE THE PAIRS WITH RESPECT TO ONE ANOTHER SO THAT THEY STAND UPRIGHT, PLANKS LATERALLY FREE FROM ONE ANOTHER EXTENDING BETWEEN SELECTED RUNG MEANS OF ONE PAIR AND SELECTED RUNG MEANS OF THE OTHER PAIR, POSITIONED TO PROVIDE A WORKING SURFACE AND PRODUCE A SCAFFOLD. 